Chapter 19 Torrential Rain

Su Yuqing remembered clearly the details of Ling Wei's fateful encounter with director Anderson, which she mentioned in an interview in her previous life.

From the moment Ling Wei stepped into the university, Su Yuqing had been keeping an eye on her. She patiently lay low, gradually getting closer to the Lu Yan and Lu Zhao brothers, as if weaving an invisible net.

Until that pivotal day that could change fate, she gently moved a chess piece, causing Ling Wei's original plan for that day to deviate from its course, and she lost her chance encounter with Anderson.

There are never any opportunities in this world that are rightfully someone else's; whoever seizes them gets them.

She meticulously copied the time, place, and even the clothing.

However, the anticipated scene of the director stepping forward and making a stunning entrance did not occur.

She was unwilling to accept it, since Ling Wei had such a smooth journey!

So, referencing Ling Wei's increasingly refined and outstanding appearance in her previous life, she subtly adjusted the curve of her eyes to make them appear clearer and more lively; she imitated Ling Wei's refreshing and resilient style of dress from her memory, and even deliberately replicated several classic performances from Ling Wei's famous work in her previous life during the audition with director Anderson.

Sure enough, director Anderson, who was arranging the casting in China, was immediately impressed and decided to cast her on the spot.

She raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing across her eyes in the mirror, her gaze gradually turning cold and hard, like a quenched diamond.

Since heaven has given her a second chance and allowed her to take this shortcut to the top, then everyone who stands in her way is just a stumbling block that must be removed.

After all—everyone looks out for themselves, or they'll be doomed!

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Lu Zhao collapsed on the floor. Outside the window, dark clouds loomed overhead, rain poured down, and thunder roared.

My phone beeped again.

He assumed it was another message from Su Yuqing and glanced at it lazily. The next second, his pupils contracted sharply, and he jumped up abruptly.

Vivi's smile is very energetic:

[Photo: A dilapidated bus shelter with a cracked, leaky roof; waterlogged ground. Location: Abandoned botanical garden in the western suburbs.] My umbrella is broken, I can't get a taxi, I'm stranded. Come pick me up.

He grabbed his coat and rushed out. The engine of the SUV roared in the downpour, tearing through the rain and disappearing into the misty air.

Ling Wei came to this almost abandoned botanical garden to complete her documentary course assignment on "Forgotten Corners of the City".

She captured some scenes where desolation and vitality intertwined, but unexpectedly the weather changed suddenly and a downpour began.

The small parasol she brought was blown into the shape of a wine glass by the strong wind as soon as it was opened.

The system forgot to remind you of the rain: "..."

Help! Help! Help! Now Weiwei is going to dislike it even more; it's not even as good as Xiao Ai (Xiaomi's AI assistant).

Fortunately, Ling Wei clearly didn't have high expectations for this fake system, real gossip and吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to roast or criticize) agent, Heavenly Envoy.

She awkwardly ducked into the seemingly dilapidated bus shelter, which was drafty and leaky, practically useless.

On the mobile app, the ride-hailing interface spun countless times, but ultimately displayed "No available vehicles nearby".

So she sent a message to her personal slave.

To find a bit of humor in her situation, she even posted a message on her WeChat Moments:

[Experiencing wilderness survival plus a torrential rain scenario in the suburbs (Image: A blurry, desolate scene captured through a curtain of pouring rain) (Location)]

Students quickly left comments jokingly calling him a "warrior," saying "Holy crap, you're awesome," and "Be careful."

Just then, a message "dinged" and she was about to switch back to the message interface when a slightly urgent car horn sounded, piercing through the rain, and grew closer.

She looked up and saw a tall, black Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, like a black warship cutting through the waves, breaking through the thick rain curtain, making a clean and neat drift, and coming to a steady stop in front of the bus stop, the splashing water spreading out to both sides like wings.

The driver's side door opened quickly, and Lu Zhao jumped out of the car, holding a sturdy black umbrella, and strode up to her in a few steps.

He had clearly arrived very quickly; his hair was disheveled by the wind, and a few stray hairs on his forehead were wet with rain and stuck to his skin.

He saw Ling Wei holding a camera, her whole body soaked, her hair sticking to her pale but still calm face.

Despite her disheveled situation, her peach blossom eyes remained clear and calm, like an inextinguishable spark in the rain. His heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, a mixture of sourness and tenderness.

"What are you standing there for? Get in the car!" His tone sounded a bit fierce, as if he was trying to hide some kind of intense emotional fluctuation, but his actions were incredibly honest, almost completely covering her head with the umbrella.

Ling Wei didn't have time to say anything more. Protecting the camera in her arms, she ran and climbed into the passenger seat.

Inside the car, the dry and warm air instantly enveloped her, as if it were a completely different world from the damp, cold, and bitterly rainy outside.

Lu Zhao quickly sat back in the driver's seat, closed the car door, and completely shut out the noisy world of torrential rain.

He started the engine smoothly, one hand on the steering wheel, his movements casual yet extremely steady, and the black SUV drove out smoothly in the rain.

"How did you end up in this godforsaken place?" He looked ahead, focusing intently on the road, which was still blurry despite the frantic swishing of the windshield wipers, and asked casually.

Ling Wei answered while tidying herself up, her voice still slightly nasal from catching a cold: "It's a documentary assignment, I'm here to shoot some footage."

Lu Zhao glanced at her briefly and saw her with her head down, carefully and tenderly wiping the camera he had given her as an apology last time, with water droplets still dripping from her hair.

The words "Serves you right for courting death" that were on the tip of his tongue instantly stuck in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he silently reached out and turned up the car's air conditioning temperature by two notches.

Ling Wei's soaked clothes clung to her body, and although the air from the hairdryer was warm, it still felt chilly. She couldn't help but sneeze.

Achoo!

Lu Zhao was focused on driving when he heard the sound and his brows furrowed slightly.

He looked around the car and found no blankets available.

"Achoo—Achoo—!" Another series of even louder sneezes followed.

Lu Zhao steadied the steering wheel with one hand, and deftly took off his zip-up hoodie with the other, handing it directly to her.

The black tank top accentuated his youthful and toned shoulders and arms, which taut slightly with each movement.

"There are no blankets in the car, wear this for now."

Ling Wei rubbed her reddened nose as she took the item, but frowned as soon as she brought it close, pulling it away slightly in disgust: "Ugh, such a strong smell of sweat... Have you not showered for days?"

Lu Zhao, who had just pressed the accelerator again, was so angry at her words that he almost lost control of the steering wheel.

"I was just practicing dance!" he explained through gritted teeth, his ears burning. "I shower every day!"

The black hoodie that was handed to me didn't actually smell bad; it was more of a vibrant, hormonal scent that subtly permeated the enclosed car.

Lu Zhao added irritably, "You're just asking for a cold!"

After weighing the options, Ling Wei compromised.

She couldn't let a real cold ruin her important business, so she muttered something and started taking off her soaking wet sweatshirt.

The car braked suddenly!